georgew: check out our most recent Q&A, I think this will help...the upgraded software will shorten the delay some 3rd Gen owners may have been experiencing to make the Prius ABS equivalent to non-hybrids. http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hybrid-news/76158-prius-brake-recall-little-more-information.html Correct, voluntary refers to it being voluntary from the Toyota end. Best, Erica Gartsbeyn, Prius Product Marketing, Toyota USA
IMO and I hate to do this, but IMO if you aren't a troll, then you've revealed yourself as just as bad as one. You're now complaining about a problem that just a few weeks ago you were saying you didn't even perceive as a problem. What's changed? Can't have a real opinion? Too influenced by media? Did it occur to you that somewhere between blindly supporting Toyota and blindly attacking them is probably the truth? So now Toyota has lost you. My opinion...good for Toyota. I have more respect for IndyKing or somebody that has always been consistent in there presentation and feelings, positive or negative, then someone who comes to a discussion board one week, not accepting any criticism, and then the next week doing nothing BUT criticize.
Sure, let me do some research to see what fair market is on my vehicle. I was planning to wait until everything calmed down, but if I get the right price so that I don't take a beating (ie, I'm in no rush to unload), sure, I'll sell. Besides the solar package, the only other option I have that cost anything is the extended ("Platinum") warrenty, which cost me an additional $1K.
I know Toyota wants to "spin" this recall in as positive a light as possible. I don't fault Toyota for that. So they probably think keeping the term "Voluntary" attached to announcements concerning the recall sounds better than just saying "recall". But the use of the term is confusing some people, who then think the recall is "optional". IMO it would just be clearer if Toyota publicly refered to it as simply a recall.
OT I put new struts on my 2004 at ~115k miles. 89k miles isn't THAT far off depending on the environment and prevalent road conditions.
This coming from someone who doesn't even own, nor probaly ever will own a prius. Now this is RICH! Your comments might have some relevance if you actually had ever owned a Prius. But you don't, so your opinion, your advice is meaningless to many on this site. What changed? Well actually, it's a rather lengthy accumulation of things, but most noteably, my lack of trust in Toyota. I think they completely blew this whole thing...and not just on the Prius, but pretty much on all their vehicles. As I said before, if they can't even get their dealers to agree on the oil service interval, what more is their to say about the company, and their service departments around the country. It's a joke. "Blindly attacking Toyota"?? You're kidding right? There's nothing blind in my attacks. On the other hand, my prior support for toyota was misguided, probably because I was new to the brand, and was excited. But after having the car for over 6 months now, and reading hundreds and hundreds of posts about the Prius...coupled with the HUGE debacle by Toyota...I've now come to me senses and realized: (a) The car has numerous flaws, (b) For a $30K car, it's cheaply made, and (c) I have no trust that Toyota has a clue what they are doing. You know, this is the first car that i've ever bought (and I've owned many), that my excitment for the car has worn off well before the new car smell was gone. For a $30K car, you would think I would not have to be ashamed of my purchase. While people at work use to kid me about hyper-mileing and the like, now, the Prius owners at my company are the brunt of pretty much every toyota joke/criticism you can think of. It's just ruined the whole new car experience for me. If they would give me a full refund (which will not happen) then we BOTH could be happy. I would get my money back - in full - and toyota would be rid of yet ANOTHER in a growing list of unhappy customers. And I have always had zero, nada, no respect for your opinion. You don't own a Prius, so there's really nothing more to say, now is there?? Get back to me when you can talk intelligently about the product, oh, and it would help if you actually owned the product you were talking about. Why don't you bother people on the Ford Fusion web site?
As stated elsewhere - the difference between voluntary and recall simply implies "who" made the decision to make the recall. In this case, Toyota "volunteered" before NHTSA forced them to. That may or may not be because gov't action was imminent (only Toyota's lawyers know that for certain), but the semantics illustrate who "drew first". Regardless of just how close or far this was from forced, I appreciate that Toyota took the first step.
Yes, I know this. Just I also have noticed that some people are mistaking what Voluntary means in relationship to the recall. Explanations such as this help, but it might also help if Toyota officially defined it somewhere. In other words, just stating that it isn't an "optional" recall.
The problem I have is that I can not check it because there are no potholes here (we pay a high 'roadtax'). I could try on the snow but 'unfortunately' they are often too quick in removing it. Little chance I can find out what it is like. I have never experienced it in 6 years Prius driving (5.5 yrs Gen II, 0.5 yrs Gen III). To me it is a useless call back.
umm... i find it confusing that Toyota is not even given a bone for the "voluntary" recall. thru-out history, car makers have usually not issued a recall until they have been sued many times and only as a bargaining chip to settle out of court. this only lengthens the time that 1) the manufacturer admits fault 2) the fix is available to the public. i think we are all being swayed by media frenzy that has really blown this out of proportion. if we were to truly judge Toyota's performance in this recall action, i think we will find Toyota in a familiar spot...Still #1
I've had good experiences with Manhattan Beach, Glendale, and Bob Smith Toyota. They all seem pretty hip to the Prius.
This is exactly the point I have been making here on this forum. The greatest evidence of this is rearranging the driver interface so you press once to start but have to do it differently to shut off. (Hold for three seconds.) The same goes for (N)eutral, and the shifter does not stay in place. If the designer/engineer/developer does not think the driver is smart enough to control the start switch, they will give the machine too much control. It's decision matrix is fixed, and does not account for changing circumstances. The driver is relegated to a tool. This hubris is at the root of Toyota's problems.
A few years ago my ex and I had a Lexus ES300 sold to her by her dad for a low price. He took it regularly to a prominent south Orange County dealer for regular maintenance. When it needed a valve job at 80k miles our local dealership service writer said the oil was like sludge and looked like it had never been changed. Her dad's dealer obviously parked the car and just topped off the fluids. GOOD NEWS: Longo Lexus covered much of our part costs under warranty so we got out of the service bay at a nominal fee. They did not have to do this but did it anyway. Moral: Never trust anyone at a car dealership, even a Lexus dealer!
Lucky you, tons of potholes around here. You have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, there are some in your shoes but who are progressively and unnecessarily freaking out, parking their Prius in the garage and needing tranquilizer shots.
I'm in the same boat - they've all been recently patched or filled... if it rains again, I'll have something to test on though. AZ roads are horrible when they get wet.
Even NHTSA has described the recalls as 'voluntary'. I believe NHTSA and Toyota are using the same definition that the IRS uses on the cover letter of its 1040 packages when it describes the U.S. Federal Income Tax system as 'voluntary'. Those who insist this means 'optional' often go to prison.
LA roads are super bad in spots -- and the condition of the road in the Google Maps link Bob posted is like the crap I drive over every day with my Prius... So it's so perplexing as to why some people have the problems and others never. Of course, those potholes make my car rattle like a 15 year old Civic .... but that's another thread.